What are the crop cultivation techniques? A detailed explanation of common methods
The cultivation techniques for different plants are not the same, and mainly include two types: soilless cultivation and soil-based cultivation. Among them, the most common is soil-based cultivation, which is also the cultivation method most commonly used by farmers.
Introduction to winter melon cultivation techniques
1. First, prepare the land for planting and make raised beds. The beds should be about 2 m-2.6 m wide and about 0.6 m high, forming high beds and wide furrows for cultivation. When the seedlings are about 30-40 days old and have grown two leaves and one heart, select high-quality seedlings with thick stems, short internodes and well-developed roots for transplanting. The transplanting spacing should be determined according to the season at the time and the plant variety. For spring planting, which requires a long growth period, late fruiting and large melons, single-row planting is best, with a plant spacing of about 80 cm-100 cm. For autumn planting, choose varieties with a short growth period, early fruiting and relatively slender melons, with a plant spacing of about 60 cm-85 cm. Once 70 percent of the seedlings have emerged, remove the covering film.
2. Before the seedlings break through the heart, moisture should be well controlled to help the roots grow better. After the heart breaks, keep the soil half moist and half dry to help the melon seedlings grow healthily. Generally, after about 26-31 days they can be transplanted to the field. Two or three days before transplanting, drench the seedlings with a 700-fold solution of 75 percent chlorothalonil, and transplant them with fertilizer and medicine. After planting, water promptly and cover with plastic film.
3. Early-maturing varieties generally bear small fruits, and 2.3 fruits can be kept per plant to increase yield. The first melon is mostly poorly developed, so the melon from the second female flower is usually selected and kept. In addition, artificial pollination can help increase the fruit-setting rate.
4. Fertilizer and water management: after transplanting, water with dilute manure water two or three times to help speed up growth. During the vine extension stage, water thoroughly once. When it reaches the fruit-setting stage and the winter melon has grown to the size of a fist, apply a fruit-setting fertilizer once, generally using 230 kg of urea per mu, applied together with watering.
5. Trellising and tying vines: during the seedling recovery stage, trellises can be set up to guide the branches and vines to climb upward. It is also possible not to trellis and let them crawl directly on the ground, but crawling on the ground will suffer from many pests and diseases, the melon shape will also grow poorly, and yield will be reduced. Generally, trellises can be set up during vine extension. There are three types of trellis: hedge trellis, flat trellis and arch trellis. If the melon vine has already grown 16-19 nodes, guide the vine onto the trellis. After going up the trellis, tie the melon vine with rope every 20 cm-30 cm, and at the same time remove tendrils, side branches and useless female flowers.